VERY MINOR SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

Still here?

World of Warcraft is a 14 year-old massively multi-player online role playing game (MMORPG) that takes place in the world of Azeroth.  Battle for Azeroth is the latest expansion in this MMORPG, released one week ago on August 14th.  This is the first expansion where players were able dive in simultaneously, regardless where they are in the world.  With that said, lets take a mostly spoiler-free look at why this expansion is different, and why it’s quickly become my favorite.

I’ve been playing WoW since “vanilla”, which is to say since the very beginning.  My first character was a Tauren Shaman, but I quickly rolled a Draenei shaman with the release of the very first expansion The Burning Crusade.  My Draenei shaman became my main character to play, and has been to this day.

Throughout Wrath of the Lich King, Mists of Pandaria, and the Cataclysm, I would return to Azeroth to join my faction and vanquish the enemies presented by Blizzard.  I have a Horde character as well; a Blood Elf death knight.  My death knight allowed me to see the Horde’s side of the story.  You see, WoW may be an MMO, but it has deep and rich lore to explore.  The Alliance and The Horde are not just opposing factions; they are two sides of the same coin.  What made each expansion interesting to me was depending on your faction, the overall experience would be unique and different from the opposing side. Not necessarily wrong or bad, just very different.  Until Battle for Azeroth, that is.

BfA begins with the destruction of two capital cities of the opposing factions.  These cities have rich history and are symbols to the respective people that inhabit them.  Needless to say, the destruction of these cities was deeply felt.  But that is not what makes this expansion my favorite.

This is the first time I’ve felt genuine pride playing for a faction in World of Warcraft.  The actions of the two sides in this war are not morally gray.  It is apparent from the beginning that the Horde intends to strike first.  From the opening cinematic, the might of the Alliance and Horde are on display.  The Warchief Sylvanas single-handedly takes down an Alliance siege tower as she screams “For the Horde”.  The Alliance King Anduin heals the soldiers surrounding him as he raises his hand to summon the light. As an Alliance player, I found it easier than ever to relate to my character.  The Horde were playing the villain from the Alliance standpoint.  Taking the fight to very Orc or Troll I ran into was easy, and I looked forward to driving the Horde from Azeroth.

I think we were meant to find a greater unity with our faction brothers and sisters, regardless of which side you fight for.  Alliance players who once supported tolerance and forgiveness, are finding it difficult to excuse the behavior of the Horde.  The Horde on the other hand are uniting for completely different reasons.  Currently, their Warchief is acting without honor, and the loose combination of characteristics holding the Horde together is quickly unraveling.  However, there seems to be a silver lining in all of this.  Polygon reported here of Horde players uniting through protest by a movement consisting of removing shoulder armor. An act depicted in the wonderful cinematic below by one of the oldest and currently most honorable Orcs in WoW; Varok Saurfang.

The Old Soldier cinematic released by Blizzard depicts Varok as a hopeless warrior longing for the honorable death.  By the end of the cinematic I think my Blood Elf would be inspired to believe the Horde could yet be saved. For the first time I’ve seen Horde players truly discussing what it means to be a member of the faction.  That the Horde may find glory in battle, but not at the expense of honor.  I think this expansion has made choosing your faction mean more than any time in the game’s 14 year history.  Players struggling to find meaning in the Horde’s actions may finally define the Horde.  Are they the villains that Garrosh and Sylvanas have portrayed them as, or are the Horde that Thrall intended them to be?  Can the Alliance bring the Horde back into the fold against a common enemy?  One thing is for sure; WoW will never be the same after the events of BfA.

But what do you think?  Is the Horde evil or are they just misunderstood?  Is the Alliance a bunch of babies or justified thinking the Horde are the bad guys?  Let us know in the comments! Who are you supporting? See you in Azeroth!